Explaining Involuntary Immobility Using the Gallup World Poll

Most of the research produced by social scientists in the area of international migration has focused on mobility. However, in recent times, scholars have argued that this focus overlooks the fact that migrating internationally is relatively rare and staying in one’s country of birth is the norm. Through this recognition, a body of literature on immobility has emerged, focusing both on “voluntary” and “involuntary” immobility. Though this distinction is not always clear, the current study attempts to model involuntary immobility by examining factors that distinguish those who simply aspire to move internationally from those who are actually preparing to do so. 

This is the first study to examine individual- and country-level predictors of involuntary immobility at a global scale, helping to generate a better understanding of what prevents people from fulfilling their migration aspirations. Using globally representative data from the Gallup World Poll, we find that the involuntarily immobile have lower levels of income and education and are more likely to be without employment, with the effect size of income being especially large. At the country level, while immigration policy and distance from desired destinations show no clear evidence of impact on immobility on average, these factors may serve to exacerbate income and educational disadvantage. Networks demonstrate importance in decreasing involuntary immobility via co-nationals living abroad as well as colonial linkages, but these factors do not necessarily increase migration aspirations. Overall, these results suggest that mitigating resource/human capital constraints will be key to overcoming involuntary immobility, even in a more liberalized policy environment.

Speaker :Professor Christopher Maggio.

Professor Maggio received his Ph.D. in Sociology from the Graduate Center, City University of New York. His primary research interests are around race and immigration. His dissertation examined the impact of recent racial demographic changes at the local level on voting outcomes, immigration attitudes, and perceptions of racism. More recent work has addressed racial hierarchy in immigration attitudes and public opinion on “open borders." He is currently working on a project studying global migration aspirations with a particular focus on immobility.